Sapphire FallsGoing for Wilder Read online

  ‘I’m teaching our son how to two-step,’ Sonia answered.

  ‘Is that so?’ Vince said. ‘Well, what do you say you step aside and let a real man show you how it’s done, son?’

  As soon as Jackson stepped out of his mom’s arms, Vince took his place. His mom beamed up at his father as he shuffled them around the room. The look of adoration in his mother’s eyes was mirrored on his father’s face.

  For the first time in his life, Jackson saw the benefit to dancing.

  “Hey, Jackson, how’s it going?”

  Though he was grateful for the interruption of the unexpected memories, Jackson wished it would have been anyone but Shelby who slid into the barstool beside him.

  “What can I get you, Shelby?” Derek asked.

  “Nothing yet, thanks, Derek,” Shelby said and then returned her attention to Jackson. “So, how’s it going?”

  Jackson shrugged. “Not bad, what about you?”

  “I’m good. I’m surprised to see Garrett here though.”

  “He’s here for the festival.”

  “I wonder if that’s all he’s here for.” Shelby’s eyes skipped to the table where her sister sat with Garrett before looking at Jackson once again. “I always thought she’d end up with you, especially since that’s why she turned down Garrett’s proposal.”

  Jackson nearly choked on the swig of beer he’d just taken. Shelby spared him a look of concern before she plowed on.

  “She’s never said that’s why she turned him down, but what other reason could there be when she still wears that necklace you gave her?”

  It had been years since Jackson had thought about that necklace and the night he’d given it to her. Now, he could see Jill standing before him, her bright smile lighting up her face and making her dark eyes sparkle. The way she’d looked at him was the way his mom had always looked at his dad, and it did things to Jackson; things he couldn’t explain but he sure as hell liked.

  “Poor Garrett never stood a chance considering she was wearing your necklace the night he proposed.” Shelby’s eyes suddenly lit up. “I love this song. I’m going to dance. Care to join me?”

  “Uh, no thanks,” he said.

  Shelby laughed. “I didn’t think so. See you around, Jackson.”

  “See ya,” Jackson said, but she was already skipping toward the dance floor.

  Jackson’s gaze slid in Jillian’s direction once again, and that’s when he saw it. The light of the bar glinted off the silver charm dangling from the necklace she wore, the necklace he’d given her for her fifteenth birthday.

  Well, hell! What was he supposed to do with that information?

  Chapter Four

  Jillian was just finishing up getting the coffee brewing when Mufasa pranced into the kitchen. The expectant look in his eyes made her laugh. When she headed for the laundry room, her little dog was hot on her heels, doing his customary series of spins as she filled his bowl.

  Leaving Mufasa to his breakfast, she returned to the kitchen.

  “Morning,” Shelby said as she entered the kitchen. “Ooh, you made coffee.”

  Jillian echoed the greeting and then added, “It should be ready soon.”

  “Thank God.” Shelby’s eyes brightened. “Hey, do you think you could ”

  “No.”

  “You don’t even know what I was going to ask.”

  “It doesn’t matter. Whatever it is, the answer is no.”

  “That’s not really fair.”

  “Life isn’t fair.”

  Shelby rolled her eyes and then gave her a long look. Jillian folded her arms across her chest and stared back at her sister. They stood like that, each waiting to see who would be the first to break.

  It took less than a minute for Jillian to crack. “Fine, what were you going to ask?”

  Shelby smiled. “You never have been able to beat me at a staring contest.”

  “Yeah, yeah, so what do you want?”

  “I was hoping you’d swing by Dottie’s and grab me another slice of pie.”

  “I knew it! No, I will not swing by Dottie’s and get you another piece of pie.”

  “You have to.”

  Jillian raised her eyebrows. “How do you figure that?”

  “I just won our staring contest which means I deserve a prize, and I’m thinking a piece of Dottie’s famous apple pie would do the trick,” Shelby explained.

  Jillian opened one of the cupboards and took out two coffee cups. Filling one, she handed it to her sister. “Consider this your reward.”

  Shelby wrinkled her nose. “That is absolutely the most boring prize ever.”

  “Then don’t drink it,” Jillian said with a shrug.

  She took her coffee mug to the kitchen table, and her sister followed.

  “This is really good,” Shelby said after taking a sip. “Thanks for making it.”

  “No problem.”

  “And thanks for going out with me last night. I had fun.”

  Jillian smiled. “I did too.”

  “Speaking of that, I was surprised Garrett showed up.”

  “Me too, but it was good to see him.”

  “Yeah, it was. That boy grew in to a mighty fine looking man.”

  Jillian laughed, but she couldn’t disagree. The Marines had taken a scrawny cello player and turned him in to a finely sculpted work of masculine art.

  “You guys seemed like you had fun catching up last night,” Shelby said.

  “We did.”

  “Any chance you’ll pick things up where you left off or maybe start over?”

  “No, we’re friends, but that’s all we’re ever going to be.”

  A sly smile stole over Shelby’s lips. “In that case, I might have to make a play for him.”

  There should have been a spark of jealousy, but it never came. The fact that Jillian had no problem with her sister showing an interest in Garrett confirmed that she’d done the right thing turning down his proposal.

  “Are you all right?”

  ‘I always thought she’d end up with you.’ ‘That’s why she turned down Garrett’s proposal.’ ‘She still wears the necklace you gave her.’ ‘She was wearing it the night he proposed.’

  All day long the words haunted Jackson, dancing in his head and making it difficult for him to concentrate on work. Thankfully, Delaney hadn’t spent much time at the job site to notice his mood.

  “Jackson, are you all right?”

  Jackson didn’t expect Delaney to be angry for his slower pace. Instead, she would have been concerned, wanting to get to the bottom of his funk. Lord help him if that happened. The woman probably would have mobilized all of her female relatives to help him and Jillian get together, and he did not want that.

  Well, maybe he did want it, but that did not mean he could have it. Sometimes, people didn’t get what they wanted. Sometimes they wanted things they should not have. In this case, he wanted Jillian, in his arms, his life and especially in his bed.

  It was better to leave things like that to everyone else, better to let Garrett Nash have her. The guy was clearly interested based on the way he’d swooped in at the bar last night and proceeded to monopolize her time.

  Jackson grimaced at the thought of Garrett and Jillian picking up where they’d left off. If he remembered right, Garrett played an instrument too. No doubt, he and Jillian would get married and have a mess of talented babies that she stayed home and taught to play piano while the guy was out saving the world.

  “Jackson!” Walt’s voice was sharp as was his gaze on Jackson. “What is wrong with you tonight?”

  Jackson frowned. “Nothing, why?”

  “You’re hacking into that meatloaf like you’re mad at it.”

  Jackson started to argue, but a glance at the chunky mess on his plate stopped him. When he lifted his eyes, he found both his father and grandfather watching him. While his dad looked worried, his grandpa’s expression was neutral.

  “Are you feeling okay?” Vince a
sked.

  “Maybe he’s hung over from being out drinking all night,” Walt offered.

  “I had two beers last night, and the last one was at eight,” Jackson protested. “And I wasn’t out all night. I was home before ten.”

  Walt nodded. “I suppose that is a pretty early night for a youngster.”

  Jackson grinned. “Yeah, well, I had to work today.”

  “You sure there wasn’t some other reason you cut your night short?”

  The shrewd way Walt appraised him made Jackson shift in his seat. His grandpa had always been way too damned observant, a skill he’d honed to an even finer point once he’d retired.

  “I just wanted to be fresh for the work I’m doing on the house Delaney Tucker’s flipping,” Jackson lied.

  “How’s that going?” Vince asked. “Do you think you’ll be done on time?”

  “Of course I will, Dad,” Jackson replied.

  Jackson suppressed a groan when the cell phone clipped to his father’s belt rang. That was the phone they used for their business which meant one thing. Someone was having a plumbing emergency.

  It was probably Ethel Harrison. That woman had more plumbing problems in her old house than the rest of the town put together. Since his grandpa seemed to have a crush on the old lady, he knew better than to complain about it.

  “Wilder’s Plumbing, Vince Wilder speaking.” After answering, his father paused to listen. “No problem, Adrianne. I’ll be right there. No, it’s no trouble at all. It’s fine, don’t worry about it. See you soon.”

  Disconnecting the call, Vince returned the phone to his belt clip.

  “What’s up?” Jackson asked.

  Vince sighed. “The sink is backed up at the sweet shop, and the place is full to the brim with customers.”

  “Of course it is,” Walt agreed. “That Adrianne Scott can bake like nobody’s business.”

  “It’s Adrianne Riley now,” Jackson said.

  Walt fixed a stern eye on him. “Don’t sass me, boy.”

  “Whether it’s Scott or Riley, it doesn’t change the fact that the sink is clogged and needs fixing.” Vince got to his feet, gesturing toward his plate. “If one of you would put this in the microwave, I’ll finish it when I get back.”

  “Who says you have to go?” Walt said. “Let Jackson go. The boy’s younger and stronger than both of us. No reason he can’t help us out.”

  “Are you trying to say I’m old?” Vince laughed.

  “Hell no! If I did that, I’d be calling myself ancient,” Walt said and turned toward Jackson. “What are you waitin’ for, boy? Get your rear in gear and get over to Scott’s Sweets.”

  Heaving a sigh, Jackson got to his feet. It wasn’t like he was enjoying his dinner anyway.

  The doorbell rang, and Mufasa let out a series of barks as he darted toward the front door.

  “Can you get that?” Shelby called from the kitchen. “I’m still loading the dishwasher.”

  Jillian glanced up at the clock and saw that it was just after six. As usual, she’d gone for the piano after dinner while her sister took care of the kitchen cleanup. She would have felt guilty about it if not for the fact that she’d made dinner.

  Already at the door, Mufasa whined and yipped as he waited for her.

  “Garrett!” Jillian said when she opened the door. “What are you doing here?”

  Garrett laughed. “Hell of a hello for an old friend, don’t you think?”

  “Sorry, I just wasn’t expecting you.”

  “I didn’t come at a bad time, did I?”

  “No, I was just playing a little piano after dinner.”

  A fond smile graced his lips. “I’ve missed your playing.”

  Mufasa barked, drawing Garrett’s attention from her.

  Garrett laughed as he leaned down to scratch behind the dog’s ears. “Hey, old buddy. I see you’re still ruling the roost.”

  “Hey, Garrett,” Shelby said as she came in from the kitchen. “Did you want to come in, or were you guys going to have your conversation in the doorway?”

  “Actually, I came to see if you lovely ladies were interested in going to Scott’s Sweets with me,” Garrett answered.

  “You want to go to Scott’s Sweets?” Jillian asked.

  “Well, yeah.” Garrett grinned. “The place wasn’t here when I left. With the way everyone in town has made a point to tell me how great it is I figured it was time to check it out.”

  Shelby nudged Jillian. “That sounds like fun. Doesn’t it, Jill?”

  Remembering her sister’s interest in Garrett, Jillian gave an enthusiastic nod. “That sounds great. Let me just get my purse and my sweater, and we can go.”

  “Yeah, me too,” Shelby said and then snapped her fingers. “Oh, shoot, I can’t go anywhere.”

  “Why not?” Jillian asked.

  “I’m still working on the Herman account, and I’m already behind.”

  “I thought you finished that yesterday.”

  “I finished the spreadsheet, but that’s not all there is to do.”

  “We’re probably not going to be more than an hour,” Garrett interjected.

  “Believe me, I wish I could,” Shelby said. “Maybe you guys can bring something home for me.”

  Jillian frowned as she took a sweater off the coat rack beside their door. Considering how anxious she’d been to explore her newfound interest in Garrett, she would have expected Shelby to jump at the chance to go out with him, no matter what the reason.

  She hoped this wasn’t her sister’s attempt at some sort of matchmaking. Jillian meant it when she said she had no romantic interest in Garrett, and she didn’t need her sneaky sister doing anything that would lead the guy on.

  “Are you sure you can’t come?” Jillian asked as she shouldered her purse.

  “I really can’t, but you two have a good time,” Shelby said. “And don’t forget to bring me back one of those pumpkin spice muffins with the cream cheese frosting. Those things are amazing.”

  “You got it,” Garrett said, throwing her a wink.

  Outside, Jillian took a deep breath of the early evening air. She loved the smell of autumn in Sapphire Falls.

  “It is a nice night, isn’t it?” Garrett said.

  “The best,” Jillian agreed. “I love fall here.”

  “I do too. Nothing smells or feels as good as home.”

  When they reached his car, he held the passenger door open for her, waiting until she was inside before closing it.

  “I can’t wait to try this place,” Garrett said as he slid behind the wheel. “Mom and Dad haven’t stopped raving about it since I got home.”

  “Well, it is really good.”

  “Thanks for coming with me tonight.”

  “It’s too bad Shelby couldn’t come.”

  “Yeah, it is.”

  “She’s really amazing, you know. Did you know she graduated in the top ten percent of her class at Nebraska?”

  “Of course I did.” Garrett slid a grin in her direction. “Just because I don’t live here anymore doesn’t mean I don’t get all the Sapphire Falls scoop.”

  “Don’t tell me you still have a subscription to the paper?” Jillian teased.

  Garrett laughed. “Would you believe my mom sends it to me in her care packages?”

  “Oh my God, she does not.”

  “Yeah, she does, but it’s cool. I like knowing what’s going on here, makes me feel like I never left. You need that sometimes.”

  There was sadness in his tone but also something darker. Jillian considered asking if he wanted to talk about it, but she was afraid to bring up things he’d rather forget.

  By the time they pulled in front of Scott’s Sweets his smile was back in place.

  “This is the place, huh?” Garrett said when they emerged from the car. “It looks pretty cool.”

  “Just wait until you see the inside,” Jillian said.

  Linking arms with him, she ushered him toward the entrance.
Like he’d done at the car, he stopped to hold the door for her, letting her enter ahead of him.

  Despite the fact that it was Tuesday night, the shop was filled with patrons. The smell of so many fresh baked goodies wafting through the air made Jillian’s mouth water.

  Jillian laughed when she turned to see what Garrett thought. There was a reverent look on his face, almost as if he’d stepped into church.

  “If everything here tastes half as good as it smells, I can see why folks are so crazy about this place,” Garrett said.

  “Trust me, it does.”

  “Where should we start?”

  “Well, what do ”

  “Jillian, I didn’t expect to see you here. What a wonderful surprise!”

  Both Jillian and Garrett turned to find her parents standing behind them. There was no need for her to introduce them to Garrett who’d been a fixture around their house when they were high school seniors. After trading hugs and handshakes, they stepped up to the counter to place their orders.

  “Why don’t you kids join us?” Ron said.

  “That would be great,” Garrett said before Jillian could reply.

  The four of them took their pastries and drinks and moved to one of the few empty tables in the place.

  “So, Garrett,” Sophia said, leaning forward. “Tell us what you’ve been up to since you’ve been gone.”

  Jillian winced at the way her parents beamed at him. Though they’d said they supported her decision not to marry him, she wondered if they wished she hadn’t turned him down.

  Their enthusiasm was understandable. Garrett had a lot to offer a woman. Besides being drop dead gorgeous with a killer body and the kind of manners that would make any mother proud, he was serving their country.

  If Shelby was serious about her interest in Garrett, maybe her parents could still have him as their son-in-law.

  Chapter Five

  “I really appreciate you coming, Jackson.” Adrianne Riley smiled at him.

  “No problem,” Jackson said. “Any idea what happened?”

  “Everything was working just fine until about half an hour ago. Then we turned on the water, and it just backed right up,” Adrianne answered. “I called Delaney and she said to try plunging it, but it didn’t work.”